Metal Shock Finland (World Assault )

BONG-RA are the central project from Jason Köhnen (THE LOVECRAFT SEXTET, THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE, CELESTIAL SEASON), who over the past 25 years has used the alias to craft a diverse body of consistently challenging experimental work as one of the primary acts to meld underground Metal with electronics. The ever-evolving entity now returns with a new album, “Black Noise“, set for release on February 21st 2025.

A unique hybrid of glitch-laden electronica, metallic rebellion and anarchic energy, the album’s nine tracks redefine boundaries while maintaining the raw, unfiltered chaos that has characterized BONG-RA since the beginning:

01. Dystopic
02. Death#2
03. Nothing Virus
04. Useless Eaters
05. Black Rainbow
06. Bloodclot
07. Ruins
08. Parasites
09. Blissful Ignorance

All music, sound engineering & visuals by Jason Köhnen.

Jason provides deeper insight into the creation of the new album:

“BONG-RA has always balanced between the Metal and the Electronica universes and blending elements of both music genres to complement the rawness, aggression, anarchy and energy contained in both. “Black Noise” is a word play on the term “White Noise.” Instead of being “a constant background noise” or “meaningless or distracting commotion”, the script is flipped to the opposing meaning of White Noise’s definitions.

BONG-RA had been placed on a hiatus since around 2021 when the last album “Meditations” was released. This was a second album (after the 2018 “Antediluvian” album) that ventured into the realms of Doom/Jazz and Metal. The concept of these albums transformed into THE LOVECRAFT SEXTET which found a home on DMP (for the more-extreme compositions) and Denovali Records (for the more “traditional” Jazz compositions). The connection with DMP re-awakened the BONG-RA project to re-invent a new glitch metal electronica hybrid.“

As an initial gateway into this unrelenting album BONG-RA present first single, ‘Dystopic‘, accompanied by a gripping video. Blending the raw power of underground Metal with unrelenting electronic aggression, the track fuses distorted guitars, polyrhythms, and confrontational vocals into a grim Industrial Metal onslaught.

Jason comments on the first unveiled song/album opener:

“For the album, the songs are mostly composed “beat driven,” as I still have the formula to start with the rhythms first when diving into the BONG-RA project. It’s still a natural reflex, I guess. The guitars are in most cases also rhythmical additions to the songs more than “old-school riffing”. I think this gives it that industrial feel. A lot of noise loops were composed to add to the atmosphere and the glitchiness of the overall sound. A lot of detail was put into the textures that lie in the compositions; I think it gives the album its specific chaotic sounding vibe.“

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“Black Noise” will be released on CD, vinyl, and digital on February 21st. The vinyl version is released in partnership with Netherland’s Tartarus Records who’s also doing a tape version of the album. Two specially designed t-shirts will accompany the launch. Pre-orders are possible via the label’s EU, US, and Bandcamp shops.

BONG-RA live dates – playing alongside THE ANSWER LIES IN THE BLACK VOID – are already confirmed for 2025:

07.03 Budapest, HU [Durer Kert]
13.03 Timisoara, RO [M2]
14.03 Cluj, RO [Hardward Club]
15.03 Bucharest, RO [Soundart Fest]
26.03 Utrecht, NL [DBS]
27.03 Drachten, NL [Iduna]
28.03 Deventer, NL [Walhalla]
29.03 Terneuzen, NL [De Pit]
30.03 Tilburg, NL [Little Devil]

More information:

Jason Köhnen began his musical journey in 1988 as the vocalist/bassist for BLUUURGH…, an underground Dutch Crust/Death Metal/Grindcore band. Following the release of an EP and LP, in 1991 he founded the Death-Doom band CELESTIAL SEASON, gaining widespread recognition as a prominent name in the genre outside the renowned ‘Peaceville 3′.

In 1996, Köhnen shifted from Metal to electronic music, creating the project BONG-RA and pioneering the intense Breakcore genre of electronica. His 1998 debut album led to a Peel Session in 2002, and established BONG-RA as one of the first acts to fuse Extreme Metal with electronics. The experimentation deepened with releases like the 2007 “Grindkrusher” EP, featuring BOLT THROWER samples, and collaborative releases with noise artist Maruosa in DEATHSTORM and the neo-classical Doom project WHITE DARKNESS.

Beyond BONG-RA, Kohnen co-founded THE KILIMANJARO DARKJAZZ ENSEMBLE and later THE MOUNT FUJI DOOMJAZZ CORPORATION, releasing a series of cult albums up to 2013. Over his 30-year career, he has collaborated with notable artists such as VENETIAN SNARES and IGORRR, performed at major festivals including Glastonbury and Dour, and toured globally, sharing the stage with legendary acts like APHEX TWIN, MINISTRY and THE PRODIGY.

After a brief hiatus, during which BONG-RA explored Doom, Electronica and Jazz – including via 2018’s “Antediluvian” and 2022’s “Meditations” – Köhnen is now returning to his Metal and Grindcore roots. A deal with Debemur Morti Productions, also home to his Doomjazz project THE LOVECRAFT SEXTET, has been reached.

BONG-RA now prepares for a new era as a live three-piece featuring guitarists Attila Kovacs and Botond Fogl. This freshly rejuvenated vehicle for Metal/breaks fusion will debut in early 2025 with a new record “Black Noise” and an upcoming tour.